Jazz Leeds is a major UK volunteer run jazz promoter, based mainly at Seven Arts, a beautifully designed acoustic venue in Chapel Allerton, Leeds. It was started – as Seven Jazz – in 2007 by two local jazz fans Steve Crocker and Steve Ross. Steve Crocker previously promoted jazz in the 1980’s and 1990’s Sheffield including the noted “Jazz at the Leadmill” sessions, and was also a jazz radio presenter on Radio Hallam for many years.
JazzLeeds are constituted as a charitable music trust (since 2017). We now have a year round programme of over 120 concerts, jazz festivals, jam sessions, workshops and a community band. We promote a mixture of international, national and local musicians and a wide range of music – mainly contemporary jazz but also including some traditional jazz, blues, latin and big band performances as well. We have picked up a couple of awards on the way – the Jazz Yorkshire award for best Yorkshire jazz venue (2012) and the UK Parliamentary Jazz award for best UK jazz venue (2016).